Study says community drug treatment pays off

A study of drug treatments for people convicted of crimes shows they work—and they’re best when run close to home.

The corrections department survey done for the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission shows felony drug sentences have increased in Missouri almost three times as much as sentences for non-drug felonies in the last quarter century. Drug possession is the second-most common offense of people in prisons and is the leading conviction for people on probation.

The study looks at those who go through drug treatment programs in prison and those who go through drug treatment in their home communities—and whether they commit another crime within three years.

Thirty-eight percent of those with drug problems who commit serious crimes and go through prison drug treatment programs commit another crime within three years. But only 27 percent of those who get drug treatment at home commit crimes within three years.

Commission Chairman Mike Wolff says it’s clear treatment at home is best because they’re dealing with their problems in their natural environment. .

Wolff hopes the numbers will help guide judges who sentence people with drug problems for crimes, drug-related or not, evaluate the best treatment for them.